


United

by systemcat



Category: My Little Pony, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: G1 G2 G3 G4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-11
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-11 22:23:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3334967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/systemcat/pseuds/systemcat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ivy has just had her world destroyed. A pony of the second universe, by accident she escapes to the first universe & makes new friends to try and save all worlds from the dark realm ruled n' fed by King Sombra. This story touches on all generations of My Little Pony but 3.5 .</p>
            </blockquote>





	United

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published back in '13.

Chapter 1

Ivy didn't want to move, but that fact wouldn't stop her new friends from forcing the matter.

The zebra Zecora and the Bushwoolie named Blue Bud knew she had to confront the powerful sorceress pony that lived in this version of Ponyville.

Zecora was a power sorceress in her own right but in her rhyming speech told Ivy she couldn't help much with saving the other lands that laid beyond the edges of her world. That only the Princess Twilight Sparkle could had the needed magic to confront the threat being faced.

Another powerful magician was the last thing she wanted to seek. It was a powerful sorcerer pony who had destroyed her world. Made it fall into a dark realm of shadow that robbed all it's life of having true forms. She had barely escaped this fate her self. The only thing that saved her from being as doomed as her friends, family, and all other ponies from her world is she in panic accidentally found & went through the crack in the universe the evil sorcerer unicorn had come in through. The only reason why she felt comfortable being around Zecora was her magic wasn't the ethereal nature as his was, and Princess Twilight Sparkle's was told to be.

The residents of Ponyville watched the pair push the reluctant Ivy down Mane St. towards the large tree house at it's end. She looked different this new comer but she appeared in good company being with the zebra from the Everfree Forest. Her other companion however was a creature that while cute, they weren't sure what to make of it.

Blue Bud could feel the eyes of the local ponies on him. Back home this would have never happened. All eyes were normally focused on his former companion Ruby. She was a princess but like this Twilight Sparkle? He didn't know. What he did know was she treated himself & Chumster well for being attendants. Why were there so many princesses among the ponies he now wondered? Bushwoolies didn't need rulers but for the most part they didn't mind being called to act servants to them. The one exception ever given to this had been to the cat-woman Katrina. She decided to abuse the good hard working nature of them once long ago. Something Blue Bud had, had nightmares about in fear from what he'd heard of the event but fortunately it had not colored his mind so bad with scarily images that it prevented him from allowing her to help them.

Ivy had leap into the forest of the Furbobs from out of thin air. She ruined the picnic the two races had put together. That was Blue Bud's first memory of the strange pony. She screamed at them in terror and they did the same in turn. She was a pony, they could tell that, but her legs were longer than normal, her neck held the same characteristic. Blue Bud wondered at his first sight of her if she was a flutter pony that had some how lost it's wings. To her perception of the Bushwoolies & Furbobs. The Bushwoolies at first she thought were balls of shivering fur. That way of looking at them quickly changed when as she screamed at the sight of them. They had screamed at that moment too and at that she saw their little mouths and eyes that had previously been buried in the fur of their bodies. The Furbobs reminded her of dogs but with clown like faces. Their screams revealed nothing new at first. In short time they began trying to decide what Ivy was.

"It's a pony! It's a pony! See it walks on all fours and has a long face!" Started a rose colored Furbob.

"No! No! No! It's a blue giraffe!" Shouted a yellow colored Furbob.

A emerald colored Furbob cut it with, "Look at it's flank! It's flank see?! It's marked like how the ponies ones are!"

Ivy now was annoyed at the clown-like dog creatures. She'd had enough of their debate over what she was. "I'm a pony!"

"See? See every one? I was right it is a pony!" Chimed up the rose hued Furbob.

"I am a mare, not an "it". What are you?"

Together all the clown-like dog creatures chorused at once in grouped pose, "We are Furbobs!"

Continuing in chorus they asked, "Who are you?"

The shock of recent events still had Ivy stunned. The faces of her comrades being shallowed by a smoky blackness that had consumed their world before it had turned to then taking them. Confronting the dark unicorn who claimed the power behind the tragic event, and had wanted to have her meet the same fate. All she could do was run and try to hide but where could she hide? Her world had become a place of pitch black, a starless sky filled with phantoms of ponies she had once known. She never saw what allowed her to pass from the place she had once known & loved, to this bright forest with strange little creatures.

She broke down and after telling them her name, proceeded with her story of how she had come to stampede through their picnic.

Now not in a mass meant to compliment themselves, the Furbobs gathered around Ivy in a hug that the Bushwoolies joined in doing has well.

"Thank you," she sniffed as her crying started to subside.

One Bushwoolie lept down from hugging her neck and came around to face her. Blue Bud today after hearing the pony's story now felt braver than he normally was. "I represent Princess Ruby. Tell me what we might do for you to help you in this new home?"

"Bring them all back?"

Blue Bud frowned, "We can't do that. Princess Ruby, isn't a unicorn, she has no magic. We know ponies with magic!"

Another Bushwoolie joined in, "We know other creatures of magic too!"

Interjecting, Blue Bud had to point out to new frightening reality to Ivy. That not all creatures of magic here were friendly. He pointed out sorcerers and witches they chose to avoid with good reason.

The picture he painted of the three witches is what scared Ivy the most. Their grim magic had brought horrible plights to this land, nearly worse than the dark unicorn's destruction of her home.

He knew Princess Ruby and friend Chumster could find the right beings to help her.

Something started to emerge from the air. Something started coming forth from where Ivy had first appeared. A black hoof with smoke crawling off of it.

New fear entered Ivy, it seemed familiar what she was seeing and she knew she quick action had to be taken.

With a whisper she encouraged the collection of Furbobs & Bushwoolies to hide with her in the brush surrounding where the picnic had been taking place.

After mere moments from ducking out of sight from the smoking hoof, the full body of who it belonged to emerged from the unseen plane. The dark unicorn who had destroyed Ivy's home was now here.

Chapter 2

King Sombra needed his aids, as he called them openly. Inwardly he called them his little chickens. Squawking & annoying, he hated the trio of witches he had allied himself with here. But soon he wouldn't have to deal with the crackling hags.

They had re-formed him from crystal they had conjured into this realm. They had been attempting to create a false Sunstone to use as barter with Bumble for the services of her bees. He could sense their power immediately. Knew what they could do for him, it was clear as day. Revenge on the saviors of the Crystal Empire. Revenge on all pony kind. The ones who had thwarted his plans in the Crystal Empire had not been crystal ponies, but had been outsiders. One of them had not even been a pony, but a dragon. More fury now burned in him.

But it would soon be cured, this fury that burned within him. He would have his revenge. He had lost his empire, and it destroyed him. So he destroyed another empire, another world, a test for his coming glory. It was part of his domain now. He had made a world fall into the darkness he knew so well from a thousand years of living in it. It's life, the world's life strengthened the dark realm, the realm now carried within the soul of his being. Part of him, it master of him, and him self master of it. A sweet infinity, he must provide for it. His glory would be making the dark realm every thing it wanted to be. Every thing. Destroying that world he just stepped from had not only strengthened the darkness, but now made him less dependent on the aid of the hags.

This world's time would come, and the hens knew it. An amazing fact with how stupid they were. They had aided him gain access to the fallen world. They knew his thirst for power was greater than theirs, and that they shouldn't turn their backs on him for one moment. He wasn't the push over of a unicorn pony they had dealt with before in this world. Now he could enlist their aid with the threat of shadow ready to over take them. He could now send them to the dark realm if they did not to his bidding. His next target would be the world he had once long ago called home. He would not only send the world into the land of darkness without form, but he would crush the bodies & souls of the saviors of the Crystal Empire. They would not exist in a state of shadow thanks to him. He would make sure they didn't exist at all.

His horn growled, and the atmosphere changed of the woods, changed around him. Briefly he heard a small cry, but dismissed it. The winds were picking up in the space just before him. The cry had to have been the wind. The darkened forest he can created now had crimson flooding it in deeper shades as seconds passed. The blood red air forming a sphere in the air & ground. Frightened shouts started coming forth from the mars like globe, and soon it became clear to those hidden what was giving the frightened shouts. Three seemingly human women formed from the red. Each one seemed in a state of battle with the other in a rage of who was at fault for them being where they were. A fault of spell casting they couldn't put at finger on who had done the trick.

As King Sombra's horn began to diminish it's glow of conjured magic. The oldest of the three saw him and pointing at him, told the two others it was he who had brought them here and they weren't to blame.

"King Sombra, did it! He brought us here!" Shouted the oldest.

Of the younger women, the shorter one protested, "No, it was Reeka! King Sombra would never do any thing to us! Please don't punish us king! Mother Hydia was wrong!"

It continued on this way, and rage began to light from deep within the eyes of the magical stallion. "Witches, the task of eliminating the second universe is done! I need your power once again to aid me in traveling to the fourth universe!"

"But shouldn't you have the power to travel there now, without our help?! You and the dark realm sucked away the life magic of the second world! You should be all powerful now!" The shorter of the young women, Draggle shouted in fear.

"I will be all powerful some day! Some day soon if you witches do as I say when I say it!" Pausing in a happy sudden thought he added, "do as I say and I will not punish you by sending you to the dark realm."

The three witches cringed together over taken by fear. Hydia spoke on behalf of them, "but you said you weren't all powerful yet! That's why you need us!"

Gritting his teeth, the king gave a small snort in anger at the ignorant little chickens. "I can pass between this world and the dark one, but no others as yet. Only you three can grant me the power to pursue my revenge."

The three witches and unicorn turned to a grouping of bushes that stirred with something unknown briefly, before stopping almost as suddenly as it started.

With the horn of the powerful black unicorn lighting up. He pulled from the brush, Blue Bud, fighting his air borne flight to meet the evil king.

"What is this!?" He demanded to no one in particular, as he looked in angered curiosity at the blue fluffy Bushwoolie.

Leader and mother of the two other witches, Hydia spoke up again. "It's a Bushwoolie King Sombra. Useless annoying little creatures that tend to be around the ponies here."

He brought the cowering ball of fur closer to his face further to let the creature know he meant business, and would not be trifled with. "Was it you who I heard cry with I invoked the magic needed to call these three here?"

Blue Bud knew as much as he tried he couldn't make him self look smaller. All the Bushwoolie wanted to do was disappear out of sight away from the unpleasant stallion pony. But it was no use, clearly there was not point in hiding when what you fear is directly before you. "Yes, yes it was I!"

The king could easily sense when people lied to him and this creature's body language & voice betrayed it just as it have if by any other creature he was familiar with. "There is a pony with you isn't there?!"

"No! No, my Ruby is far away at home! I only came here to meet with some buddies who I might add aren't here! In fact they aren't even ponies at all!"

The horn of the unicorn lit up more fiercely than when summoning the witches, and it's energy shot up and out of sight towards some where unseen. As the power continued flowing from the horn, the unicorn spoke in a low voice to the fitful, fearful Bushwoolie. "Ruby is gone."

Despite logic, of knowing something not right was going on, Blue Bud denied possible reality as the unicorn's horn glow diminished it's halo of power. "That's right Ruby's not here!"

"Ruby does not exist in this world any more." King Sombra growled, and with that said, he let go of his levitation spell placed on Blue Bud.

Once dropped to the forest floor, Blue Bud looked wide-eyed at the four before him. Shock overwhelming him in fear of what he just heard from the black unicorn stallion. Was his friend Ruby really gone? He had to check on this fact and couldn't risk exposing his other friends in asking for their aid to make this discovery. Certainly the young mare he just met would be in danger from these four if exposed to them.

Over and over as he ran from the clearing in the woods where once had been a pleasant picnic a short while ago, he shouted the name of the friend pony he served. Calling her name he hoped she'd appear to him and assure him, the dark unicorn was wrong, that she wasn't gone.

The four watched the Bushwoolie run away and the young witches even laughed at him. Their reasoning unknown to their mother, and master.

Ivy watched & cried, and wanted to join Blue Bud, but knew she couldn't not now. This one, this one that destroyed her world, hated all pony kind. The Furbobs while not appearing at all like her in appearance, knew they shouldn't move as well, the other Bushwoolies knew they shouldn't move as well too.

Action needed to be taken, but not now. What could she do? They scared her, and one had destroyed every thing that had meant any thing to her. The unicorn had plans to enter what he called the fourth universe. He sounded like he was ready to doom it to the same fate as her world, what he called the second universe.

What she could do, and had to do was over come her fear, but not now. She had to wait for them to leave. This took some time and restless companions didn't help make the time pass any easier. They all knew they couldn't make their presence known to the four, but at the same time. None of the furry little creatures, Bushwoolie or Furbob alike, were used to staying still for long.

They listened to the four talk, and they learned what plans the unicorn had that he spoke of. Finally after what seemed like hours, the four walked away from them and deeper into the woods, not in the direction poor Blue Bud had taken in running off to find his Ruby.

As Ivy got up from her hiding place, she lifted a mound of colorful bodies with her that should have dismounted her as she rose. Their weight on her wasn't uncomfortable, but their look upon her. Traveling to find Blue Bud she didn't think she need fear of the four finding the blue pony. For if they did see her, she would appear a creature of odd magic, shaped from puffs of rainbow colored fur of every type, and littered with dozens of faces, hands & feet.

Chapter 3

Blue Bud tried shouting to get the attention of Ruby's sisters who were running about the palace in Pearl and Princess Sapphire were over turning objects and looking in every nook & cranny to locate their lost sister. Princess Amber & Princess Amethyst were busy cleaning the palace with their Bushwoolie aids and seemed to have no time to talk.

Desperate, Blue Bud sought out the one princess he didn't see running about , Princess Aquamarine. Since he couldn't get the attention of the others. While Aquamarine may be a avid daydreamer with random thoughts running through her head. She tended not to wander far from home, and Blue Bud was sure she could help him locate his companion & friend.

Locating her didn't take long with hearing at first a scream and then seeing her run from the Throne Room. Moments later a long spiked lizard's tail emerged from the entrance of the room, and Aquamarine held her ground just outside where she had just left. Blue Bud wasn't sure what to make of her state of mind. Clearly she was afraid of the lizard in the next room, but at the same time seemed eager to return to the room.

"Aquamarine?" Blue Bud asked gently trying not to panic the earth pony further.

He waiting with patience but to reply came, at least not to him.

The spiked lizard tail poking out from the Throne Room returned to which it came, and then got replaced by it's other end. A rather fierce looking dragon's head & neck peered down at the pony princess. It spoke apologetically to her. Talking of a lady named Katrina being testy today and she should just bare with that fact.

Aquamarine stood her ground, seemingly no longer afraid of the creature. "She doesn't belong here and neither do you!" She protested.

The unseen lady in the Throne Room summoned Aquamarine to rejoin her there, and the dragon looking down at Aquamarine assured her, he wouldn't harm her and neither would Katrina.

With caution, Blue Bud followed Aquamarine just a few feet behind her. Still un-noticed by her and by the dragon.

Being un-noticed didn't last long. The woman Katrina, Blue Bud had heard spoken of from the hallway by the dragon, he quickly learned was a human- like cat. One he realized in a heartbeat he had heard of before. She was evil and had once enslaved his brethren. Once the dragon who he learned at the same speed as he had identified the cat-woman at wasn't a dragon. The creature shape-shifted to a much smaller lizard-like from. Katrina took notice of the tiny Bushwoolie, but held her tougue.

She spoke softly and almost kindly to Aquamarine, trying her best not to sound upsetting. "My dear, I do belong here, for you see you are missing a ruler, are you not? One of your pretty pony sisters. I am just trying my best to fill in her role here. I'm trying my best to hold disorder at bay."

"I know you're a witch and an evil one at that! What did you do with Ruby!?" Aquamarine wasn't a pony to be crossed wrong, and she needed answers.

Katrina relaxed in the throne, rolling her eyes upwards, crossing one leg over the other & letting one hand rest the side of her face against it.

"Dear," She replied, "your information is out of date and misguided. I have done nothing to your sister Ruby, and as for being evil, well thats a thing of the past."

"Then why are you forcing my sisters to work for you?!" Aquamarine demanded.

Leaving the throne, Katrina took an elegant moving strides to Aquamarine.

Bending down slightly to meet the pony in the eye, she answered Aquamarine's question. "You ponies have been turning this palace upside down to find your missing sister Ruby. Don't you want a clean living space? Dear, you are the ones making chaos. My presences in your home, well the loss of your sister. Call me a blessing in disuse."

Feeling her business had be concluded with the distraught princess, she finally turned her attention to the wary Bushwoolie, Blue Bud who had been hoping all this time his presence had been forgotten. "Is that Bushwoolie your aid?"

Now Aquamarine took notice of Blue Bud, and she smiled in hope seeing Ruby's friend & one of her aids. He represented hope of answers to her missing sister.

He answered for her, "Aquamarine, I came here hoping to find Ruby. I - I'm afraid she's gone. King Sombra seems to have done away with her."

Hearing the unknown name of royalty, Katrina's ears perked forward in interest. Questions had to be asked, "This King Sombra, I've never heard of him. Tell me Bushwoolie, who is he?"

"My name is Blue Bud, mistress Katrina. King Sombra is a dark unicorn, he is unlike any pony I've ever met. He's worse then you ever were, he destroyed the world of my friend, Ivy, and he some how sent Ruby to another world. I suspect the dark place that possessed the second universe."

Her acknowledgment to Blue Bud's words at first was grim, and then lifting her self to her full height again. Tapping fingers of one hand against her side and pacing around the room. "A feat I've known for a long time I could do, but never pursued."

The pony and Bushwoolie both shared at Katrina in shock. Katrina's companion the shape-shifting lizard explained. "She doesn't mean destroying worlds. Um, do you Katrina?"

"Of course not!" She replied, stopping the tapping against her side but picking up the pace of her walk about the Throne Room.

The lizard man continued to speak to the two at this. "My lady Katrina's power as a sorceress has always been great. Greater than any conjurer of magic I've ever known. She could move planets if she wanted to, but has never. What she was saying she could do is go to another universe."

Timidly, Blue Bud asked, "Could she return Ruby, and the missing second universe?"

Her walk slowed, and after a few moments halted, "I love a challenge, but I do not believe I alone could fulfill this task. The other universes, they're a part of this world beyond it's time, and dimension. Connected together by a darkness where no life can exist. One false step in venturing out from this world could mean death."

"I don't believe death would necessarily happen, mistress Katrina. Ponies have survived it." Blue Bud spoke with his head down, almost fearing her reply even though he didn't know what harm could befall him with her having the knowledge.

Without explanation, Katrina knew who one of those ponies must be, "King Sombra."

"And Ivy," Blue Bud added.

Katrina picked up Blue Bud, and as the Bushwoolie shivered in her palm, she stroked his fur gently. "She is from the second universe, isn't she, Blue Bud?"

Weakly he answered yes to her question.

Her reply wasn't as expected.

She walked to Aquamarine, and placed Blue Bud upon her back with a soft pat that showed no harm. "I need to met with this Ivy."

He couldn't help being nervous in her presence, sputtering as he normally did in this state he asked why.

The cat's answer came in a controlled voice that spoke of some inter- confindence, "Something tells me she isn't the malevolent sort, King Sombra is. Her world destroyed." After a pause she continued, "She can pass more easily between worlds now then my self or anyone else, aside from this dark king. She doesn't truly belong any where any more."

Quiet during the dialog until now, Aquamarine finally entered their conversation. "What do you need her for?"

Katrina quickly walked back to the throne she had been sitting on when the pony and Bushwoolie entered the room, "She has proven the darkness does not necessarily kill those who walk in it."

Sitting down in the throne she continued, "Even I fear it's shadows. It's evil was cast out from this world so long ago it doesn't appear in the memory of the speech or text any where to be found here. Only beings of supreme magic gain knowledge of it once acquiring a certain masterly of their skills. This Ivy could lock it away for good. Take away the barriers of this world and expand it to connect freely with those like it."

Now it wasn't just the pony and Bushwoolie in shock. Her forever friend, the lizard which could change shape was dumbfounded as well by Katrina's reply.

The lizard spoke up, "Katrina, I know you well. What do you get from Ivy uniting the worlds as one?"

Looking like she was about to start bathing the back of one hand with her toque she stopped at hearing his question and replied. "Rex, what I want is what any cat would want in power over a kingdom or not. I simply would like to satisfy my curiosity."

Right then a small face poked it's head though the door to the Throne Room and looked at the group.

Turning away from them momentary, it shouted into the hallway, "Blue Bud's in here!"

A moment later what belonged to the face pranced through the doorway, leading in Ivy still covered in Bushwoolies & Furbobs. The Furbob who had discovered Blue Bud's location, beamed with pride at a job well done.

"You don't look like any pony I've ever seen before. Tell me are you King Sombra or Ivy?" Katrina keen eyes missed nothing normally. This moment no exception.

The cat-woman made her self more comfortable in the throne as she awaited the answer to her question from Ivy.

Ivy's reply wasn't what Katrina wanted. The reply given was to Blue Bud. "Blue Bud, is she a friend of your's?"

Before answering back, Blue Bud curled himself into a ball on Aquamarine's back, "I plea the fifth!"

"You pathetic fur ball! I should have never even asked the question. She's clearly not a unicorn." Katrina rubbed her head in frustration, "Come here darling, please."

Ivy walked slowly up the Katrina, the Bushwoolies on her scrambling towards her rear as she did so. The Furbobs took the actions of their race cousin as a cue to action and preceded to do the same.

Not being sure what to do in the presence of supposed royalty, Ivy bowed to the cat-woman. A gesture Katrina could only broadly grin at in pleasure. The light blue pony holding her bow, spoke almost at a whisper as the scared mound of fur clinging to her hind tried to figure out what to do about their nearness to the feline fiend. "What do you want me to do your majesty?"

Still amused with Ivy's mistake over her identity, cheerly Katrina answered, "Your help in returning the second universe and these ponies & fur balls precious Princess Ruby."

Chapter 4

The steaming bath water felt like luxury to Ivy, while sitting in it she couldn't help but think of Blue Bud's words. That the cat-woman, Katrina was only trying to butter her up for something.

With a splash, Ivy dunked her head under the water to check for what she suspected would be there.

Princess Amber and her aid, Wishful, watched Ivy in stunned surprise, seeing her head come out from the water.

"What were you doing with your head in the bath water like that, Ivy?" Amber asked still wide-eyed at the dripping wet pony soaking in the tub.

Blushing lightly, Ivy answered, "Looking for vegetables."

"Vegetables?!" Amber couldn't believe what she had just heard the strange pony say. Why would any pony look for their meal in bathing water? Amber now wondered even more what this pony's lost homeland must have been like.

Now Ivy felt more shy about giving answers, but none the less, Amber deserved one. "Blue Bud told me Katrina wanted to butter me up. For a stew I'd guess. I just wanted to see if he was right, so I thought I'd look for the vegetables."

Amber tried to repress laughing at Ivy's words. Wishful couldn't repress his laughter though, and proceeded to do so muffled into to Amber's tail, so long it normally dragged along the floor when the pony didn't think about it. That fact made it in easy reach of the small creature.

Not sure what to do at this embarrassing situation, Ivy lowered herself into the bathwater just enough that only the top portion of her head was sticking out. Her nostrils blew the water away from them in ripples.

She moved away from the substance Princess Amber poured into the tub. What ever she was pouring in, it didn't seem right.

Amber saw the worried expression on the part of Ivy's face sticking out from the water and explained what had just joined her in the bath. "It's only bath salts, Ivy. Nothing to do with trying to -." Now Amber couldn't' repress laughing, even if it didn't last long. She quickly regained control of her self. "Nothing to do with trying to cook you. Bath salts help your skin."

She watched Amber and Wishful leave the bath chamber before rising her head fully out of the water again.

To her it wasn't so funny. She had been told Katrina was a villain and likely was up to no good. Strange sentiment when the feline so far had done nothing wrong to the pony. But then again when King Sombra had entered her realm, no one had thought any thing of his presence at first. She had a right to be cautious. She was also now was starting to feel cooped up in the small room.

She needed some space.

To balance her self without slipping over the edge of the tub. She turned around in it to face the window to not only better take in the fresh air from the outdoors, but also because the rim of the tub there touched the window shill. More space for her hoofs to grab on to, she liked the feeling of this better then feeling confined to the bowl she was part wise seated in.

From a short distance she could hear what sounded like calls directed to her. Urging her to come meet the ones chanting for her presence.

She knew the calls had to be coming from outside, since they didn't make the sort of echoing sound one would hear if from the rooms & hallways beyond her in the palace.

Carefully she pushed herself up on to the window shill part ways to see the ones calling for her.

At first she couldn't believe her eyes. They reminded her of a myth from where she had come from. The ones calling to her appeared to be mermaids. Creatures with the heads of ponies, but with the bodies of fish. The creatures where just as massive as normal ponies, but they were swimming about in the castle's moat. Most of them attention focused on her, the adults mainly. A few of them she assumed the equivalent of colts & fillies among their race looked up to her too, in expectation, but most of them were busy at play with others their age.

"Why do you want me down there?" Ivy called, now watching the mermaids intently, smiling all the while remembering the fantasy stories she had grown up with.

"To play," more than one of the mermaid ponies responded.

The water looked deep to Ivy, but was it safe to go into? Dive from the window shill to the moat below? She had been wanting to free her self of the confines of the room she was in, but this was not what she had in mind.

The water glistened in the sun's rays. Warm water like the tub? She doubted it. Likely it would be cold.

But still, and she knew what was influencing her mind mainly right now were faerie tales. Joining the mermaid ponies sounded better than being in the porcelain tub filled with quote un quote "bath salts".

It took careful pacing of her four legs on the edge of the window shill, but she managed to do it.

She paced her self in position for her drive.

But the soapy water she had just come out of, while not possessing a consciousness, did have plans for her.

It forced her to slip prematurely from the window shill.

Without grace she fell through the air to meet the moat.

While they may have a playful nature, the mermaid ponies below her saw the trouble she was in and quickly came to her aid.

Taking in cheeks of water, combined together, all of the adult mer-ponies created a fountain where they saw the mare falling to.

The impact was soft, and caused no harm. Ivy, panted deeply trying her best not to get water in her mouth. Fear still had her in shock from the failed dive.

Once the water left the cheeks of the mermaid ponies, the fountain left Ivy. But the fall from that was nothing like what is would have been otherwise. The impact of the cold water hitting her all over her body, snapped her out of her shocked state.

She kicked at the water fiercely to bring her self up to the surface of the moat. One of the mer-ponies pushed her to boost her up faster.

Gasping she continued her wild kicking at the water once reaching the surface.

A colt mer-pony found this amusing and couldn't help, but comment his thoughts about poor Ivy to his near by friends. "She can't even swim! Earth pony indeed!"

An adult who looked related to the colt, demanded he apologize to Ivy.

Making it to the shore, Ivy walked out of the water. The colt with his relation close behind but staying in the moat.

"I'm sorry, Earth pony," stated the colt.

Ivy after catching her breath replied, "It's alright. Thanks for breaking my fall."

The colt didn't know what to make of her reply. What could he say? He had not helped break her fall. That had been done by the adults. Was this Earth pony more confused than he had at first assessed?

His relation spoke for him, "We're so sorry you took that dive wrong for us. Once in a while it slips our minds which windows we call out to, and we should have known by now which one was the Wash Room. You're not the first Earth pony we've had to save from a fall like that. Junior here has never been witness to such a thing happening before."

After shaking off the water that coated her, Ivy replied. "It was a risky move and I knew it, but I just had to met with you. Where I'm from, ponies like you only exist in legend."

Junior could not again contain his thoughts to him self, "You mean not only have you never swam before, but you've never seen a Sea-Pony before?"

Now Ivy was a little annoyed at the colt. Her reply held back most of that annoyance however, "I have swam before. It was just the fall that jittered my nerves."

"What a brave Earth pony you are!" Spoke a light orange Sea-Pony that except for being part of the chorus that wanted her to join them in the water below when she had been up in the palace, had been quiet until now.

Ivy considered her self not he brave, and told the light orange Sea-Pony just that. That why she had jumped really only had to do with her curiosity in meeting them.

Before having a board fin meant to act as a hand, clapped over his mouth by his relation. The colt, Junior spoke again to Ivy after hearing the explanation of what she didn't see as being brave. "If you're not brave, then why did you travel to this foreign land? You don't look like any Earth Pony I've ever seen before."

She sat down at first sharing at the colt Sea-Pony, then down at the ground. She didn't want to think about where she was from right now, but that subject kept getting forced upon her. That and having to act brave. She wasn't a brave pony and openly admitted that to others, but what she was finding is maybe that fact was false. She was brave enough not to stand her ground when King Sombra attacked. Brave enough to venture into an unknown wilderness in seeking out a new friend who she know was in distress. But was she brave enough to take on the task Katrina had presented to her?

The cat-woman had a plan that not only would bring back the second universe, but would banish King Sombra for good and unite all the universes together as one. It was intriguing to think about but sounded too dangerous. She couldn't picture going it alone, but couldn't picture who would go along with her.

Catching this from the corner of her eye, looking up to the window still she had jumped, or more correctly fallen from. She saw Princess Amber, Wishful, and Blue Bud staring at her.

Amber shouted at her, very worried, "Are you ok down there?"

After a pause Ivy answered that she was just fine. She refused to tell them of her little mistake with the soapy water, and the rescue the Sea-Ponies had to provide to her.

Every one was concerned for her it appeared. These mermaid, Sea-Ponies who she never dreamed she would ever met. The Bushwoolies and Furbobs, the shape-shifting lizard named Rex, and his friend, the cat-woman Katrina, who no one trusted, but yet seemed well intended to her and the others. And of course normal ponies, Earth, Unicorn, and Pegasi. All had been warm to her here.

Maybe one or more of these new friends could help her be as brave as she must be. Maybe one or more of them could help her out on the journey Katrina wanted her to take. A trip across worlds to find the forbidden box that could hold nightmares at bay, and set every thing right again and better.

Chapter 5

In a ghost-like state Katrina walked around King Sombra and the trio of witches, undetected.

She wasn't truly in the Volcano of Gloom with them. In a trace brought on by a potion she found useful in times like these. Times she knew she needed information but feared for her safety and Rex's, she sipped the brew with help from her friend. Her mind almost unaware of her own presence in the room once belonging to Princess Ruby.

Not long ago the witches Hydia, Reeka, and Draggle had been allies of hers, but no more. Rex, the ponies, Bushwoolies forced her to see the evil of her ways not long ago. She had become addicted to a drug called Witchweed, a different potion that made her powerful.

Oh, how she had loved the power it gave her, but it had influenced her mind without her realizing it. Made her turn on every one, and commit acts she feared no one would ever let her live down, but soon that might change.

Watching the four, in a state of intangible being to them. She caught what the witches did not notice about the dark unicorn king. That he wasn't going to stop with destroying the world he had come from and the saviors of the Crystal Empire. He wanted more and without words, fear made all the fur along her spine stand on end. He was going to eliminate her world as well. Nothing mattered more to him than the realm of shadow he had fed the second universe to and then Princess Ruby.

The image from inside the Volcano of Gloom wavered, and Katrina tried her best to bring her mind back to a state that would allow her to correct this flaw of the trance now being prematurely broken.

She flubbed around blindly for her glass containing the potion she was using to bring on the needed ghost-like state that allowed her to make her un-noticed observations.

Rex ever by her side quickly responded to her need and brought the cup to her lips, holding it in place long enough for her to slip it in lightly.

King Sombra seemed to look directly at her, and she caught her breath in her throat.

His horn glowed and forced her out of her trance.

Katrina grabbed at her forehead in pain, and Rex stared with great concern at her.

"Katrina, what happened? Are you alright?" He asked taking hold of one of her hands.

Weakly she answered him, patting his hand holding her hand. "Some how this unicorn king sensed me after I strengthened my grip on the trance. He some how cast me out of it. His magic is beyond mine."

"Oh Rex, this pony is more powerful and dangerous than any being I've ever encountered." She continued.

Rex knew how he must answer this, and it was not an answer he liked. "That is why you must send Ivy into the fourth universe. Since she can slip between worlds more easily than you can," He replied.

"She will need help, haven't you noticed how weak she comes across? Even as a kitten I had sharper claws than she shows," Katrina stated.

Elsewhere in the palace, Blue Bud was attempting to show his claws.

He didn't truly have any, Bushwoolies were in fact harmless creatures, but that didn't stop him from attempting to show his fierce might.

The broadsword weighted him down, he could barely lift it. But it would bring him glory & greatness if he could find the strength to lift it.

How he managed to remove it from the armory's closet, well he considered that a feat of greatness in it's self. Five times his size and meant to be carried by ponies. The sword would be a worthy ally in battle against the unknown and he had won it's aid.

Chumster picked up the other end of the sword and started with the weight over his head, to slowly walk down to Blue Bud at the opposite end.

Blue Bud knew Chumster only wanted to help him in some way, but couldn't figure what the other Bushwoolie's intent was. Something was between Chumster's teeth, he could see now as the other made his way to him.

Wondering about his friend and co-worker's actions, he finally spoke up with Chumster now only a foot away from him. "What are you doing?! I can lift this sword, I really can! What on earth is that you have in your teeth?! It doesn't look like much of a lunch!"

Not answering Chumster now looking a little annoyed continued his walk of carrying the sword above him to reach Blue Bud.

After a minute more, with the two Bushwoolies facing each other now, Chumster only a mere couple inches away, tried talking and moving the object in his mouth.

Continuing to be puzzled by the actions of the other, Blue Bud tried to figure out the muffled words coming out from his mouth through the object held in his teeth. "Tak it?! Tak it?! It's yo siz?!" Were his guesses at Chumster's words.

With clear speech Blue Bud stated his thoughts about the other's actions, "Chumster, why don't you just drop that silly little sandwich sword from your mouth? It's not letting me understand a word you're saying."

Chumster let the sandwich sword drop from his mouth after momentarily holding it in his mouth like he wanted to spit it forward at the other Bushwoolie.

Mouth free of the cumbersome object, Chumster in a spat release his built up thoughts to Blue Bud. "You're not a knight, Blue Bud! Look at us, just look at us! We're only a few inches tall! You can't hold a broadsword in battle and either can I! And - and!" Chumster needed to catch his breath before continuing, "You didn't need to shout at me earlier. I wasn't trying to eat the sandwich sword. Think, Blue Bud think why would I present you with such an object? For kicks, no. Lets get out from under this thing. Even with the two of us, I say it's too much."

Slowly the two Bushwoolies got out from underneath the large sword, careful not to let it's sharp edges hit them in doing so.

Blue Bud standing before Chumster looking bashful, was sure he understood the point of why the other had presented him with a sandwich sword.

Taking an easy guess Blue Bud stated to Chumster, "You think I should brave the unknown and fight King Sombra with that don't you?"

Chumster picked up the fallen sandwich sword and neatly presented it to Blue Bud, "Maybe not fight the stallion as big as you say he is. Twice the size of any pony, with smoke & fire blazing off of him. No, I think if need be, use it against his hordes of minions that accompany him."

Taking the sword from Chumster, Blue Bud felt even more like he just wanted to slink away from the other. "I might have exaggerated him a bit to you and the others." Pausing as it was clear he was caught in his lie now being revealed, he now forced him self to continue. "I think this will do just fine when combined with Ivy in helping take on the evil unicorn."

Looking down in his expression, Blue Bud then proceeded to make some quick slashes into the air with the small sword. Testing it out and at the same time showing Chumster he could handle it.

"Blue Bud, we both loved Ruby, in fact every one did. But are you sure you want to go through with this? If we were strong enough & big enough I'd say that broadsword you wanted to lift to take with you would be your best bet for survival. You're going to an unknown land Blue Bud, I don't want to lose you too." Chumster was now sounding like he was on the edge of spurting tears at his last words.

The yellow Bushwoolie sat down and put his head in his hands.

Coming over to him, Blue Bud sat down beside him and patted Chumster on the back. "It will be alright. I'm sure of it."

He wasn't totally sure of it and now released his thoughts about that as well. "Sure Ivy is a frightened Earth pony who seems not to have a single fighting bone in her body. Sure I'm only three inches tall and armed with a sandwich sword. Sure our ally and aid to the other universe is an evil cat-lady who has taken Ruby's throne. All that doesn't mean that Ivy and I won't succeed in our quest. Surely we will meet people & ponies in the fourth universe willing to help us out, I mean their world is in danger from this King Sombra too."

"That doesn't help my thoughts about what you're about to do Blue Bud." Chumster answered back, still with his head in his hands.

A few knocks came at the door to the Armory Room.

"The door is open." Chumster replied, still not looking up from the ground.

Rex altered his size to met that of the Bushwoolies, and as a snake, slithered in to meet them by the broadsword. "My lady Katrina is ready for you Blue Bud. She says it is important we move fast now. That the dark King not only plans to move against this fourth universe, but this one too."

Chumster looking up from his hands, got startled at seeing Rex in this new altered form of his. "I should now trust a snake!"

Not taking offense to the remake, Rex changed his appearance again.

Now looking like a green mouse, he spoke again, "Is this better? Have you ever been harmed by a mouse before? Please trust me. Please trust Katrina. We mean you no harm any more, this will help, will save you all."

"Chumster, this has to be done. All odds are against us, but I feel Ivy and I will succeed." After saying that, Blue Bud got up and after looking to Chumster once, headed with Rex out of the room.

Rex and and Blue Bud walked into the Throne Room.

While entering the chamber, Rex morphed back into his natural state and from Blue Bud's side, took Katrina's side.

Ivy was trying to act brave through all this, and didn't seem to notice the small creature at her feet.

"It would be easier to preform this spell with the both of you together. Bushwoolie, mount her please." Katrina asked showing a touch of impatience.

Blue Bud looked up to Ivy who still hadn't acknowledged him.

He grabbed her tail and that did it. That snapped her out of her nervous daze of trying to behave like she was brave.

She winced with every tug he took of her tail as he climbed up it, and on to her back.

"I'm ready," Blue Bud said taking a seat on Ivy's mid-back. The pony dipped her head down at hearing the words. Now she couldn't hold her fear from the surface well with still feeling the tugs he had made with her tail moments before.

Katrina couldn't help but notice the state Ivy was in and came to the pony, putting one hand under her chin.

"Ivy, look into my eyes," She demanded softly.

Doing as she was told, Ivy looked to Katrina and suddenly felt not like her self.

The cat-woman then continued to speak, "Good, now don't be frightened. What you are feeling right now is a flow of words, a spell I am putting in your mind for safe keeping. I dare not speak it here because it's power would wreak havoc on this world. It can only be used in the presence of the box of Pandora to open it, to set things right."

Taking her hand off of Ivy's chin, she waited for the pony to not look mesmerized any more before continuing with, "Do you understand?"

Shaking her head to try and lose the feeling the feline put there, Ivy answered. "Yes, yes I understand, I do. Tell me, do you know where this box is in the fourth universe?"

Already casting the spell needed to send Ivy and Blue Bud to the fourth universe, Katrina answered much to the disappointment of the two as the words were relayed. "I know not where it lays. Remember this, it is older than time it's self and no one from this world has ever laid eyes upon it. It is the barer of all evil and my only advice to you as I send you on your way to it, is where darkness & shadow of evil, show no hold is where you will find it."

Before either of the two bound for this quest could speak, Katrina's magic of the portal took hold of them and they were no longer in the palace.

Rex looked to Katrina in worry and asked, "Are you sure you send them to the right universe?"

She met his glaze in answering the question. "This universe was the first to come into existence. Ivy's the second, then a third happened, and lastly a fourth. Evil does not last forever, you and I know that better than any one. With the fourth universe being at the end of the line of creation, logic says that world must be free of evil unlike the worlds before it. It must be the resting place of the box."

Winding the tip of his tail over & over through his hands, Rex shakily replied to Katrina, "The fourth universe isn't a place without evil. Remember, King Sombra comes from there and he appears to be the worst sort."

With Rex having pointed out her mistake, she knew it was already to late to do any thing about it.

By accident, Katrina might have just doomed more than one world to a fate equal to death.

Chapter 6

At first upon the spell delivering, Ivy & Blue Bud into the fourth universe, they thought the woods were alive.

A mistake not far from the truth as the brush'n wood they thought were part of the forest came rushing at them.

Creatures looking to be wolves made of plant life howled and barked in panic running past the two at break neck speed.

Blue Bud unsure what to do stood his ground on Ivy's back, holding her mane, and slashing the air with his sandwich sword.

Unsure as well about the fierce looking pack of creatures running past. Ivy closed her eyes, and refused to move as well. She did this because while she wanted nothing to do with the strange beasts running by. She didn't know where to run to.

Ivy knew she didn't want to run off with the odd wolf pack made of branches and leaves. But at the same time didn't want to run off in the opposite direction to discover what they had been running from.

The sandwich sword still swung through the air in mighty swipes even after the wolf pack had pasted. Ivy discovered this when she noticed the sounds it made rushing through the air. A discovery caught when she turned her neck to catch seeing Blue Bud fighting nothingness, out the corner of her eye.

She could barely see him at the angle she had to crane her head at to see him. Being at the base of her neck, clutching her mane, the tiny Bushwoolie had not noticed yet that the wolves were gone.

Wishing she had the neck of an owl to talk to him better. Ivy assured him the wolves had run away, and he could let go of her mane to see she was right.

"I knew that cat was up to no good! She tricked us into coming here!" Blue Bud shouted, letting go the grip he had on her mane to see better.

Seeing his surroundings better now didn't help his mood however.

Despite the wood formed wolves being gone from the scene. Blue Bud sensed a new danger was still looming near by.

"Ivy," he continued, "does smoke with no scent of fire seem normal to you?"

Ivy after looking about for a moment found what Blue Bud was referring to.

From beyond the ridge the wooden wolves had broken away from in crossing the place they had been placed upon by Katrina's magic. A smoke-like blackness was rising into the air.

This seemed familiar to Ivy, but why was a mystery to her. Now she wanted to see what the wolves had been running from.

Peering over the ridge, she regretted her curiosity.

King Sombra was there and what she was witnessing him doing was bringing forth the end of this world.

She had not at first recognized the eerie blackness rising into the air. Since she had not even seen it at first. The wolf pack had been where her attention was focused just after her self and Blue Bud had entered this world. When her world was being destroyed it had barely been noticed at first, and even then not by her. Sky Skimmer had been the first to notice the changes in their world, being a lover of nature. Seeing the foggy substance that looked blacker than the night sky, slowly flood her favorite pond. She told every pony what she had witnessed taking place, but no one had believed her in the beginning. That the unknown stallion was causing it, just seemed like an unwarranted & imagined fear.

Nothing could be done to stop him. Even once they realized her story was not false. In the grim truth even if they had realized she had been telling the truth from the beginning it wouldn't have helped them even then.

In the second universe the magic which was all well and alive in the first universe, was something inaccessible to the mares and stallions of it. In fact it was only a subject of fantasy there, along with many other creatures she had met in the first universe and some only heard did exist during her brief stay there.

Her lost world had no magic to it. No unicorns, witches, cat-ladies, spell books, or potions.

But this world surely had them. This world is where the dark king had come from.

Her feet took hold of her brain faster than her more logical thoughts.

Running away in the direction taken by the wooden wolves. She ran away from King Sombra, not daring to be brave just yet. She needed magic beyond the spell Katrina had placed in her head to deal with the unicorn now.

More terror, but in a smaller form faced the pair once dashing deeper into the unknown woods.

After coming upon a path not well formed, Ivy and Blue Bud encountered a group of stranger creatures than the wooden wolves. Three short beings with the bodies of ponies but the heads of, she and the Bushwoolie couldn't begin to guess.

She stopped in mid-gallop, reared at the sight of them, and whinnied.

The three small pony-like creatures ran from the two of them at this, and Ivy once seeing the awful beasts were running away from her. Turned to the direction they were running in so to know where she must not go.

Still watching the woods for the beasts have expecting them to return. An unexpected hoof moved on to one of her shoulders, and she jumped in surprise.

This made Blue Bud fall off her back and witness to the barer of the surprise.

A zebra unlike any he had ever seen before. A sure sign he was not in his world any more that was for sure.

This zebra was not like the one he had met in his land. Zig-Zag, had a pink coat, striped by aqua. While only having known one, he also knew she wasn't like any of the other zebras from his land. Ones with purple with green stripes, or also in addition, the ones brown with blue stripes. This one had the most plain coloring he had ever seen. The mare was simply white with black stripes. But unlike the zebras of his world, this one had a cutie mark on it's flank like a pony would. The mark this one carried looked like a stylized sun.

"Why did your friend mare, scare my little filly friends to way off there?" The zebra said pointing a hoof towards were the quote un quote beasts now had run off to.

Ivy now looked to the zebra, who didn't seem threatening now. Now once she saw her, and not just felt her hoof.

"What were those creatures," Ivy asked the zebra.

The zebra then proceeded to laugh a little before apologizing for doing so. "Tomorrow night is Nightmare Night, a time when ponies play games for fright. Those three fillies you did see, were wearing masks given by me."

First the wooden pack of wolves, then seeing the dark king beginning his magic. Both true reasons to be scared, but now three little fillies wearing masks? Ivy's expression drooped at her cowardliness at being afraid of something so harmless.

"Are you alright, young mare of blue?" The zebra asked puzzled and concerned by Ivy's expression.

"I got scared of something so harmless. How am I going to fulfill my quest if I get frightened by nothing." Ivy replied.

After a moment of contemplation of Ivy's plight and curiosity about her unknown mission, the zebra smiled at coming to a decision. "New here to the Everfree, I'm sure. Not all is frightful in this wood. Some seek my guidance to when coming here. Might I help in this quest you take?"

Having listened to the zebra talk a few times now. Both Ivy & Blue Bud stared at her for a moment before turning to look at each other, wondering if the partner had noticed the perplexing thing about the striped mare.

Not blind to their looks, the zebra continued, "I sense, you wonder at moment, here now. Please tell me what and I'll clear if I can, for you strangers to this land."

Knowing Ivy felt embarrassed about the fillies, and wasn't sure how to break in with her thoughts about the zebra, Blue Bud spoke up. "Why do you rhyme every thing you say?"

"To rhyme is normal to my speech, two blue, and now is my turn to ask a question then another. Your quest and presence, I do wonder." The zebra replied still smiling.

Ivy started telling the story she by now had already relayed a few times in the first universe.

As she told it, the zebra who revealed her name upon request of Blue Bud. Zecora, the zebra while taking in the story, lead them to her home which was further into the Everfree forest.

Just before entering the her home, Zecora stopped in her tracks upon a realization come to her about Ivy's tale.

The feline lady she spoke of, a conjurer of magic even she marveled at, had messed up where she had sent the poor mare and her friend.

This world was not free of danger. The two knew that, but that revelation had come too late. By mistake they had been sent to the wrong world, and their foe. A foe who Zecora knew of by talks with the ponies of this land's Ponyville, was immensely powerful and truly dangerous. He had come to this land before they had arrived and had already started his black deeds. Being a zebra who specialized in potions magic, and not ethereal kind. Zecora knew what she had to do fast.

"You need help but not from I. Potions magic is powerful yes, but it will not help you through this part of your quest. An alicorn I know, her powers are great. She will help you of this I'm sure, to step into the third universe's door." When Zecora broken into saying this, the two showed disappointment and she wondered what she had done wrong.

"Couldn't you have told us that earlier?" Blue Bud complained.

Being enlightened to the the meaning behind their expressions now. Zecora offered to the guide them to the alicorn she had spoken of, and added for good measure, she was aware that the time to do this was pressing and they should waste none further.

Even with being new to being around creatures possessing magic. Ivy realized fast that the term alicorn must mean some form of unicorn. A creature like King Sombra.

While she had not known the friendly rhyming zebra long, now despite the warmth she radiated to her and Blue Bud. She might not be so trustworthy, wanting to lead them to a being in control of ethereal magic. The cat-woman had been a magician of both kinds, and Ivy knew what that trust had gotten them. The wrong world with likely no hope of saving it and the first universe as well to the same doomed to the same fate.

Chapter 7

From the Everfree Forest and well into Ponyville, Ivy didn't give up her resistance to the efforts of Blue Bud & Zecora to move her.

The ponies in town watched her in wonder what could be wrong with her.

They knew she was a stranger, not only because they had never seen her before, but her breed was completely unfamiliar to them. Legs longer than normal with a neck to match, the ponies of the town wondered if it wasn't just her new surroundings she was fearful of, but the cheerful yet scary decorations being put up meant for the following night to this one, that she was so fearful of as well.

Blue Bud assured them she wasn't a flutter pony who was simply missing her wings, and that her fear had nothing to do with Nightmare Night, when questioned.

The zebra, Zecora tried assuring Ivy more than once the alicorn she was taking Ivy to meet was a friendly sort and nothing like this King Sombra they all feared.

After having pushed Ivy all the way to the home of the alicorn, the during the tiring trek there, Zecora had revealed the name of the pony was Twilight Sparkle. Blue Bud turned his sandwich sword on her as to force her not to move forward and possibly away from the door. While from behind Zecora with her teeth, held the aqua pony by the tail with the same effort in mind as Blue Bud to keep her from running away.

Still holding Ivy's tail, carefully Zecora managed to knock the door to Twilight Sparkle's tree home, with one hind hoof.

Answering the door was not the alicorn princess, but a small dragon. Who looked at Ivy and the other in question, yet only spoke to Zecora. "Zecora, who are -?"

But before he could continue, Ivy broke from of the zebra's grip on her, and dismissing Blue Bud with his tiny sword, starting to run away.

She didn't get far.

While many of the town's ponies where outside getting ready for the coming holiday, they all had taken a notice of Ivy's trip into town.

They all knew once seeing where the mare was being forced to go. Her bizarre fear of Twilight Sparkle had no justification. That the two accompanying her, must have good reason to have her visit the purple magical pony.

A yellow stallion unicorn with blue mane & tail, caught Ivy in mid-gallop, freezing her in place with his magic.

The dragon watched this from the doorway to the house, and Zecora explained as the unicorn moved Ivy to him. "Spike this pony is afraid. Without good reason I am sure. Forgive this my scaly friend, but a dragon's presence can be alarming."

"So it's definitely not me you want to see." The dragon named spike replied, then after a sigh, "I'll go get Twilight. I'm sure she's still reading that crazy new magic book of hers I saw her at an hour ago."

The levitating magic of the yellow unicorn stopped once the door to the house was shut behind Ivy and her company.

Both Zecora and Blue Bud stared her down in wanting without words, an apology for her behavior as they waited for Spike to return to them with Twilight Sparkle.

With her horn lit in a halo of purple light, the alicorn, Twilight Sparkle started descending from the second story of the tree house. The magic in use , Ivy saw fast wasn't some thing to be feared. The young mare was simply putting a book back on the shelf with it.

"Now don't you feel silly, Ivy?" Blue Bud exclaimed.

"You heard us did you, as we pushed you here? Not all of magic is dark & frightful. Some like Twilight here are quite delightful. Let her aid in your quest. She will be willing I hope, yes?" Zecora added, with at the end looking for a conformation from the purple pony.

Now at the bottom of the stairs, Twilight Sparkle asked the zebra what was going on that they needed her for and who her new friends were.

Ivy hung her head in shame, and let the Bushwoolie & zebra explain for her.

Spike listened to them, and the longer he listened, the more concern grew in him.

When Blue Bud got to the part just after the wooden wolves had dashed past the pair. Creatures who's real name Spike knew were actually called Timberwolves. He left for the kitchen area and in short time returned, and lifting Ivy's head so she'd see him. He smiled, and set a small series of food items in front of her.

A set of four graham crackers, two marshmallows, and two bars of chocolate.

She watched the small dragon form the items into two sandwiches, and after telling her to move her head back. Held both sandwiches in both of his hands. Then proceeded to puff a short burst of fire at them, just enough to melt the marshmallows & chocolate together, making them stick to the crackers holding them.

For the first time since coming to this universe, Ivy smiled.

"Take one." Spike insisted to her.

Taking one of the desserts just made, Ivy delicately ate it and thanked him for it.

Spike then with a forked toque, licked outwards, and stuffed in his mouth the uneaten desert, which he noisily ate.

Now the aqua mare laughed.

Finishing the his meal, Spike had to find out if his plan had worked on her. "So are all we magic types so scary you have to fear us all? You did like that smore right?" He asked hopefully to her.

The feeling of joy and amusement at seeing what the dragon, Spike had done was now quickly fading away. Not because it was being replaced by her previous emotion of fear towards him and the alicorn. But the shame of how she had been acting.

In a soft voice she answered him, "Yes, I enjoyed the snack, thank you. Also I'm sorry, so sorry."

While all that had taken place, Zecora. Blue Bud, and Twilight Sparkle had been watching them.

Trying to help Ivy's state of mind, Twilight Sparkle began to talk to her about her quest.

"You're braver than you think you know that right, Ivy? I mean from all I've heard you are a really top notch pony with what you've agreed to, and have gone through on behalf of all this. I mean traveling to other worlds and being willing to face down King Sombra face to face for restoring your world and this one. That's pretty wow," the purple mare told her.

With one hoof, Ivy pawed around on the floor mainly in circles while replying. "I know, I know, and it's just my fear keeps getting the better of me. I should trust more I know, and I feel that with all the trouble I've caused I've wasted precious time that I know can mean every thing."

Stopping her circling movements with the one hoof she'd been moving about the floor, she continued. "Can you help us enter into the third universe? Since the box can't be in this universe, and definitely not in the first, it can only be there."

"That's a spell I've never tried out before, but I'm sure I can do it, and -," She started to look really happy about something Ivy was sure didn't have to do with the subject at hand.

Twilight Sparkle continued barely missing a beat. "Oh oh this will be great! I'll feel so much in the role with it, I just have to put it on while casting the spell!"

At that Twilight Sparkle happily galloped back up the stairs she had come walking down earlier.

Spike called after her, "In the role with what!? All you need is one of your spell books for this!"

In short time Twilight Sparkle reappeared at the top of the steps.

Now Spike knew what the pony had gotten so excited about and he slapped a hand over his face in disbelief at his friend's actions.

At first trotting, Twilight Sparkle wearing a cape & hat, and fake beard. The outfit looked to all go together with the colors on the cape and hat matching each other. Plus both had a celestial pattern of stars & moons marking them, and of all things strange. Both parts of the outfit had jiggle bells on them.

The trotting she started at soon became a gliding flight to the bottom level of the tree house. That while Twilight Sparkle took the flight, she closed her eyes and with her magic, pulled an old looking book from the wall nearest to her. Opening it up to it's front page and setting in neatly on the floor.

"You had to do that didn't you?" Spike exclaimed giving her a look that said he wasn't sure about her actions.

"Well Nightmare Night is tomorrow night and the spell needed to send off Ivy and Blue Bud, is one of Star Swirl the Bearded, greatest. Putting on my costume of him now to perform the spell will really get my mind in the right place for playing his role for the colts & fillies when the time comes." Twilight Sparkle said with pride to the dragon.

Twilight Sparkle's reasoning of her actions concerned Ivy greatly, and she had to speak her thoughts about it. "You're going to pretend you are some one else while preforming the spell, and you think that will improve it?"

Bemused, the purple mare alicorn replied, "Oh no Ivy, I'm just wearing it for inspiration. I'm sure I can preform the spell well without it."

With her ears drooped, Ivy looked to Blue Bud and he signaled his readiness.

So she wouldn't have to deal with the pain of his climbing up her tail again. Ivy lowered herself to the floor and the small Bushwoolie got on her back with ease, before she lifted herself back up to her full height.

Twilight Sparkle knew the aqua mare must have had some reservations about her ability to preform the spell, even after explained her actions.

Sensing eyes were on her, Twilight Sparkle then took notice of Zecora looking to her. The zebra apparently was also aware of what was to be seen in Ivy.

Turning now to Ivy, Zecora attempted to reassure her, that despite acting a little immature. Twilight Sparkle was a well accredited sorceress, and there was none better aside from some pony named Princess Celestia to do the job.

Putting aside her reservations, Ivy lifted her ears and with a mild smile, nodded her agreement to the alicorn pony & zebra for the first indicated to go forward in casting the spell.

As the spell was being cast by the purple mare, Ivy heard some thing she was sure the other didn't.

This time unlike the time the cat-woman, Katrina had sent her and Blue Bud to this realm. Ivy heard screaming from an unknown source.

It didn't feel like it was from the world she was departing from, and if innocence was all there was to this third universe. Surely it wasn't coming from there.

What was it Katrina had said about the space in between worlds? That it was the dark realm? A place were no life could exist?

While she could single out no voice in the cries in particular, she some how knew the sources. Well most of them any way.

Most were the cries of the pony friends she had lost when the second universe was destroyed.

The cries she didn't know however, that answer came to her in a chilling revelation.

King Sombra's attack on this world was proceeding faster than she had witnessed with her home. While the Everfree forest was a land virtually free of Equestrian kind. Ponyville was well alive with it.

Already his attack was taking the lives of the ponies here, and very soon if Ivy didn't do her job right. This gentle mare sending them to the third universe. Her companion dragon, and eccentric in speech zebra friend, would soon be joining the cries of the disembodied souls trapped in the darkness.

As the pair shifted over into the third universe. Ivy felt a feeling uncommon to her being. Not fear, nor joy, sadness, or shame. Ivy felt rage.

Chapter 8

"Slow down!" Blue Bud cried from Ivy's back as he held on to her mane to prevent him self from falling.

The aqua mare had more determination now than she had in the past.

Searching the third universe's Ponyville by galloping from spot to spot. The little Bushwoolie was having a hard time staying on her with her the swift spurts of speed, followed by sudden stops.

In the fourth universe's Ponyville, the residents looked on her with merely a sense of curiosity.

Here it was not only that, but an extra emotion Ivy was all too familiar with that wasn't present for once.

That emotion mixed into their feelings about Ivy, was fear.

They had never seen a pony act so aggressively.

Questioning them in shouting to then dash off to some place she thought could be of interest, to then question another poor stallion or mare.

The ones witness to her actions stood their ground in shock after her query. Then afterwards would slowly back into the nearest shelter they could find, to watch and wait for her to leave their view.

Ones not yet questioned by Ivy who saw her coming. Followed the example set by the ones that had encountered her.

Angered by a sudden shut door to her, Ivy raced up to greet it and pounded one of her fore-hooves on it. Demanding Ivy spoke, "Hey wait I haven't talked to you yet! This is important! I need to find the box of Pandora! This is for the benefit of you all!"

So fast did this action take place, Blue Bud had no chance to avoid what Ivy's momentum caused him.

When she had put her self up the door to make her demand. Blue Bud still gripping her mane was swung forward and hit the door with brute force.

The impact forced him to loss his grip on her mane and fall to the ground.

Not paying attention to Ivy, but rather to the furry thing that had been hurt by the door. The pony inside the building, opened the door and with one hoof gently shuffled Blue Bud inside.

"Are you alright?" Asked the pink mare with rainbow hair, to Blue Bud.

Blue Bud sat up on the floor, and looking up to her, told her he hurt all over.

Now Ivy outside noticed Blue Bud was gone.

"Blue Bud, this is no time to fool around, we have a quest to carry out!" She shouted, looking around her self trying to figure out where the Bushwoolie had disappeared to.

Inside the building, the rainbow haired mare asked more questions to Blue Bud as she checked him over for injuries. "I think some thing is really wrong with -." she wasn't sure what wording to use next, "your friend? That pony you were with?"

Blue Bud now dusting him self off, accepted the bandage offered to him. and explained his outlook on her actions."Normally she doesn't act this way but we're on a quest. Your time, my time, every one's time is getting shorter by the moment. She knows that and just wants to save us all."

After a pause Blue Bud added, "You wouldn't happen to know where the box of the Pandora is would you? Thats what she's after."

"What is the box of the Pandora? Is it some kind of gift box?" The rainbow mare questioned.

"It's a box that holds all the evil this world has been spared from since the beginning of time," Blue Bud replied.

The pony wasn't sure what to make of his reply and just cocked her head staring at him, wondering, hoping for more information.

Blue Bud wasn't sure why the pony was looking at him with a questioning look until remembered his own wording to her.

She had no idea what evil was.

Never had she seen or heard of what hate was. She had no idea what neglect was. She had no idea what violence was.

All she knew was a world which to what Blue Bud had seen so far in it, was a world that was virtually a paradise. Unrealistic as far as he was concerned. Life isn't a diet of nothing but sugar and pastel scenery. Life has black eyes, brushes, and cloudy skies. Those are what make life real, but in her reality they did not exist.

How do you explain nasty and horridness to one who has no concept of them?

Ivy knocked again at the door, and suddenly Blue Bud had an idea how to question the rainbow haired mare.

"Ivy, who your were right, she is my friend. I -," He could barely bring him self to even remotely give the comparison. Continuing, "how she is behaving. Try to picture if she forced her way in here? Try to picture if she broke down the door to this place and hurt you? That is a picture of what evil is."

"How awful," the pony exclaimed in a near shout of astonishment.

"That is the box of Pandora. Awful, mean things you would hate to see happen." Blue Bud stated hoping she understood the concept of the box's purpose now.

In thought she put a fore-hoof to her mouth and replied after a moment. "I have no idea where this box of Pandora is and I don't think I'd ever want to seek it out. Maybe Spike the Dragon, knows where it is? He is pretty old, even if he is silly."

"Spike isn't -," Blue Bud started to say that Spike was merely a small child or a baby of a dragon. The reply to the rainbow haired mare stopped because suddenly he remembered again he wasn't in his universe any more.

In his world he had interacted with a baby dragon named Spike a few times. In the fourth world he met a dragon with the same name who looked similar to the one he had known, only looking slightly older. It was quite conceivable here in this universe, Spike the Dragon was much older than the versions he had met.

"Is something wrong?" The rainbow haired mare asked him in wondering why he had started to speak but had fallen silent for an unknown reason.

"Nothing, nothing," Blue Bud replied.

With a sigh he continued, "Where is this, Spike the Dragon? I can guaranteed once Ivy knows his location, we'll be out of your mane."

As if the world were filled with nothing but cakes & tarts which Blue Bud already knew seems to be the default deposition of the ponies in this universe. She replied bubbly & smiling, "Oh, well lately I've heard he has been living in Unicornia!"

The name was completely unfamiliar to Blue Bud. Clearly another difference between the world he knew, where he had visited in the fourth world, and Ivy's. Given the name, he was sure Ivy's world had not had a place with that name. No magic would mean no unicorns and hence no Unicornia.

"Could you show Ivy & me where this Unicornia is?" He questioned her without the faintest idea where to go to look for the place.

"Is it far away?" The Bushwoolie continued, remembering how time was pressing to find the box of Pandora.

The mare with rainbow hair said she knew the way, but didn't seem fond of wanting to lead the two there.

Blue Bud guessed this might have some thing to do with Ivy's behavior.

After asking to know her name, Blue Bud got the pony he learned was named Pick-a-Lilly to open the door for him since it looked too thick for him to push open his self.

Ivy glared at the Bushwoolie once he stepped out of the door enough for the aqua colored mare to see him.

With a look near expressionless, he asked her to calm down and step inside the building.

Pick-a-Lilly reared to her hind legs in panic and ran into an adjoining room from the one Ivy entered in from.

"She's not going to bite you! I need you two to get along. Come back in here, Pick-a-Lilly." Blue Bud commanded to the rainbow haired pony, cowering in the next room, looking at Ivy from behind a large chair.

"Another pony can help her! She-," Pick-a-Lilly searched her mind for the right word and found it after a moment. "She's mean!"

Ivy got stunned hearing it said aloud and was taken a little back by the comment when hearing it.

"I have been mean lately haven't I?" Ivy asked Blue Bud with great concern.

"That's one way to state it, Ivy. Both of us, in fact all of us need this quest to succeed, but that doesn't mean you have to run around scaring the locals & being a jerk about it." Blue Bud replied.

Noticing Ivy feel ashamed by her actions, Pick-a-Lilly came out from her hiding place from behind the chair.

"You swear if I help you find Spike the Dragon, you won't be mean to me?" Pick-a-Lilly asked, stepping up to Ivy.

"I promise, and I'm sorry for how I treated you and your fellow ponies." Ivy replied looking to Pick-a-Lilly, then looking down.

Pick-a-Lilly agreed to help guide them to Unicornia to find the version of Spike the Dragon of the third universe.

Before heading out Ivy added that they had to make haste since they didn't have much time to complete the task. At hearing Ivy say that, Blue Bud now on her back again, tightened his grip on her mane, ready for a fast ride.

The trip from Ponyville to Unicornia didn't take long, but likely that had something to do with the pace both ponies ran at. Without taking a pause to sniff the brightly colored flowers, or take in the scenery, they raced as fast as their legs could carry them.

The unicorns there didn't answer Ivy's questions about the location of the dragon and box of Pandora as quickly as she would have preferred.

While she knew her behavior had been obnoxious in the Ponyville of this world. She did not want to repeat acting the same here.

Here the delay wasn't ponies trying to avoid her because of her way of questioning. Here is was a much different thing causing delay. This delay of all things to boggle the mind was, Blue Bud.

In this world of seemingly child-like innocence. A world that looked untouched by any form of plight & any type gloom. A cute creature such as Blue Bud the Bushwoolie caught their attention strangely enough.

They had never seen the likes of him before and couldn't get enough of adoring him like he were a stuffed animal. More cute added to a world already full of it, Ivy thought to her self in more ways than one.

Though this stuffed animal talked and told the unicorns his feelings about the matter.

"Please! Please, stop it! I'm not something to-," he broke off into laughing then, as one white unicorn with purple and pink mane & tail started tickling him.

Ivy tried to force the matter to stop politely, determined not to repeat her earlier bad behavior.

Seeing that Ivy couldn't get the situation under control, Pick-a-Lilly stepped up to try and get the unicorns to stop prodding the laughing and squirming Bushwoolie.

"It's," she remembered fast to change her wording. "He is not a toy! Please stop treating him that way. He and his friend here need to find Spike the Dragon. It is really important they do this!" She sharply stated to them.

After a moment of having Pick-a-Lilly's words stink in. The unicorn ponies stopped patting & playing with Blue Bud.

An odd mix of feelings came over the Bushwoolie at this.

While he had been annoyed by their actions. Never before had any one paid him that kind of attention to him in his life. Sure Princess Ruby had paid him plenty of attention and had even been kind to him. Though being such an object of amusement, he wasn't sure how to take what they had done with him.

The white unicorn that had been tickling Blue Bud said she knew where the dragon was today and promptly went off to fetch him. Plus adding in an offer to let Blue Bud act as her companion in the journey.

Blue Bud declined the offer, after finally settling this thoughts about the unicorns attention towards him. He had decided any more attention like what she had provided him would likely make him lose control of thing some no pony would like to see happen.

With the white unicorn gone off to get Spike the Dragon, the other unicorns turned to Ivy, finally ready to listen to what that stranger was saying.

"What was it you were saying about "doom"?" Asked a unicorn of orange hair and blue hide.

"That it will come to this world if you don't stop what you're doing." Replied Ivy wondering how such a topic of importance could pass the mare by earlier.

"You mean something really bad don't you? This doom? What kind of doom do you mean?" Asked a pony, not a unicorn but a creature that Ivy knew must be related to a pony. Like how the Sea-Ponies must be related to the other races of ponies in the first universe. This pony-like creature was small and sharply reminded her of what Blue Bud had told her of flutter ponies, but much smaller & having antenna.

"Like the end of the world kind of doom." Replied Ivy watching the insect- like pony creature buzz around her head.

At hearing Ivy's reply, a few of the unicorns fainted.

The insect-like pony shot away from Ivy, clapping her front hooves over her mouth in shock.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" Exclaimed the insect-like pony to Ivy, now a distance from her.

A green unicorn with pink & yellow hair trying to nudge one of the fainted unicorns back to consciousness added. "That can't happen, just not possibly at all."

"Well yes, it won't happen if I succeed in my quest." Ivy replied trying to help the green mare attempting to wake the fallen one.

A unicorn who had clearly been paying more attention to Ivy during Blue Bud's petting, asked, "When you get a hold of the box of Pandora, will that stop this doom?"

"Yes, and it will change this world for the better likely," replied Ivy.

"How for the better?" Came a voice from behind Ivy, she had not heard before.

Coming forward & taking the unconsciousness unicorn in hand lifting it up, Ivy saw a little dragon.

"Spike?" Ivy wondered aloud looking at the dragon.

Blue & yellow with a crop of pink hair on his head. Ivy couldn't believe how different this version of Spike looked that is if he was Spike.

The Spike she had met in the fourth universe was purple & green. No hair, he had looked more like a dragon than this one did.

"That's my name," he replied as he managed to wake up the unicorn he had just pulled up from the ground.

Continuing Spike added, "This world is all pretty good. I can't imagine wanting it changed in any way."

Looking this version of Spike all over, Ivy replied," Well different is another way to put that. All mixed & merged together with the first world and fourth, plus mine once brought back."

"Sounds weird," stated the freshly awakened unicorn.

As Spike and a few unicorns tried waking the other fallen unicorns, Ivy added. "Well I sure it will be at first, but I'm sure we'll all get used to it in time."

Pick-a-Lilly was now with the grouping of ponies and in hearing this new information she had failed to catch from Ivy & Blue Bud earlier. She had to add her two cents to the questioning of what was taking place. "Blue Bud told me this thing called evil existed else where. That means these other places merged into this one would bring evil with them. Why would you want such a thing?"

Both strangers looked to each other not sure how to sugarcoat the answer.

What was bound to happen if they succeeded in their quest would change this world. This world that had no true concept of what they had been telling the ponies of. How chould they tell them it would better them all?

Evil was never a good thing, but both knew it didn't rule the first world or second. Both had been in the fourth world for a time, and even with being the start point of this crisis it wasn't all that bad a place from what they had seen of it.

These other worlds weren't in truth bad places, and with having analyzed the facts of what Ivy knew of them, she finally knew how to convince them what she was doing was right.

"Picture this fillies and gentle colts. Picture your sweet mixed in with a bitter touch. Like adding limes into a basket of lemons and making them into the same juice."

Looking to at the unicorns and the insect-like pony, Ivy continued in hopes she was winning them over. "It tastes great doesn't it?"

"I'm not going to argue that, but I'm still not convinced this will be for the better. On the other hand I don't want to have any part of the blame for this world coming to an end" Spike the Dragon replied to Ivy's explanation of what would happen to his world.

Continuing & motioning for Ivy and Blue Bud to follow him, he added, "Come, I know where the box of Pandora is."

Chapter 9

Spike the Dragon lit the top of a branch he had grabbed outside the cave before entering in with Ivy and Blue Bud. The torch was needed now with how far they had come inside.

As the trio descended into the depths of the cave Spike told Ivy and Blue Bud, the history of the place they were entering.

That many who entered it soon would become too fearful to venture in further than the light from outside it could reach. That is was rumored to contain things that could be harmful to ponies. That in ancient times stories were invented to out keep visitors, warning of the awful fates that would befall those that came in.

"Do any of those tales they invented long ago hold any truth?" Ivy asked looking around her in wondering if there was something she should look out for.

"No truth what so ever, but I think that box of Pandora could be the source of these fears." Spike replied as he bent to the ground and looked forward to a place unseen to Ivy.

"What are you looking at, Spike?" Asked Blue Bud moving around on Ivy's back trying to get a better view of what was ahead of them.

Tired of not catching sight of what Spike could see, but he couldn't. Blue Bud climbed on to Ivy's head to stand between her ears.

He still couldn't see what had caught the dragon's attention.

"It's only a dark spot in the cave, Blue Bud." Ivy told the curious Bushwoolie.

"It's more than that," Spike answered.

The dragon put the branch close to the patch of blackness. "See this? The torch light doesn't shine here. This is the entrance to the cavern holding the box of Pandora."

Turning back to Ivy and Blue Bud, Spike returned to his full height to address them. "The box makes you feel anxiety, and like it wants to eat you up, or do something bad to you. That's what I think caused the stories to come about."

"If every one fears it because of those stories then how come you aren't afraid of it?" Blue Bud asked watching the small dragon begin to make his way through the entrance in the cavern of box of Pandora.

Replying and motioning he wanted the two to follow him in, Spike answered. "I'm not a fearful dragon, and I consider myself quite the adventurous dragon. How silly would it be if I wanted to seek out great things, if scary pony tales held me back?"

Entering the cavern Ivy and Blue Bud noticed the strange air the place carried.

The light of Spike's torch didn't exist here. Here it's fire was replaced by a haze of sparks that moved slowly around the top of the torch. Although sparks was an inaccurate way to describe the things. They moved like sparks and had the right size. As if they really were lightly floating spawns of a larger flame. But these were black with just the faintest touch of blue that seemed to only show it's color for brief moments.

Beyond the changing of the touch light Ivy also noticed there was a light of sorts here, but it didn't truly exist in reality. It could not been seen from outside the cavern since it actually only seemed to exist in the mind.

Blue Bud danced in and out of the entrance testing this odd fact of the cavern.

"Strange magic," He proclaimed once finally deciding to stay in the cavern with Ivy and Spike.

"It also seems to be how the box of Pandora exists too." Her guess being so odd a thing to state she questioned it, "I think," She continued.

The box sat on a pedestal in the center of the cavern.

It's appearance reminded Ivy of the quote un quote sparks that flied around Spike's torch. It looked to be shadow with form. It reminded Ivy of King Sombra and his realm.

What Spike had spoke of, Ivy knew was happening to her. The emotion she had tried to set aside and for a time had. Fear was now returning to her and it started to overwhelm her so fast it choked her up, and she began to backup.

The low entrance to the cavern prevented her from leaving and further more she could not leave because Blue Bud give her a literally sharp reminder of her mission at hand.

The Bushwoolie poked her with his sandwich sword.

With a start of surprise & realizing that she had been caught up in the magic emanating from the box, she sprung forward to it.

As Ivy took hold of the latch to the box to open it up with her teeth, she remembered the spell Katrina had placed in her mind.

Opening the box and peering inside it she began reciting the spell in a soft voice aloud.

"Return to which you belong. Darkness into darkness and evil into it's self. Return to where you belong, darkness misplaced, you've been gone too long. Return to which you belong and return all you've destroyed. Return to which you belong and restore all to right. Restore and combine all that lives beyond your essence."

Looking into the box she saw what it contained. Monsters & demons, death and things while Ivy had no words to place her thoughts with but she knew they must be evil. Fires that moved in unnatural shapes. Water colored in reds, yellows, and greens. The water called to her like the demons did from the box. It spoke of disease, contamination, and oceans devoid of life.

Ivy feared these things escaping the box and repeated the spell again loud, and then again in a higher voice.

"Return to which you belong! Darkness into darkness and evil into it's self! Return to where you belong, darkness misplaced, you've been gone too long! Return to which you belong and return all you've destroyed! Return to which you belong and restore all to right! Restore and combine all that lives beyond your essence!"

The spell now started it's magic.

The cavern became windy and all the air began rushing into the box.

Ivy felt faint and that feeling was shared by all present. The air rushing into the box at once felt exhilarating and at the same time made them feel sleepy.

Ivy could not fight the latter of this and before passing out. Saw a body made of blackness and red fog rushing into the box.

King Sombra screamed as the box of Pandora took him in.

Ivy and Blue Bud woke from their forced sleep at the top of a cliff coming off of a high hill.

So did Spike and Spike, plus another Spike.

Bemused, Ivy watched the three dragons wake up from their slumber. Blue Bud was equally surprised by the grouping of similar dragons all named Spike, nested together on the ground near by, but he decided to turn his attention else where.

Looking over the cliff, Blue Bud saw a newly transformed world. Three, no four universes merged into one.

Counting the cities he saw over the cliff, Blue Bud saw four versions of Ponyville, all within what looked to be a few miles of each other in the distance. Ivy's home had returned he was sure of it.

The spell had worked and that explained the multiple versions of Spike the dragon now fully awake looking about. Each Spike had once been in his own respective universe.

Spike of the former fourth universe spoke up first.

"So you guys are me?" He exclaimed, and then turning to Ivy, asked her to confirm this.

"The spell worked?" She questioned in answering.

Although clear something had taken place`she did wonder if seeing three versions of seemingly the same dragon was part of the spell.

Turning to Ivy, Blue Bud answered her, "Ivy, I see four towns down there, and I think they are all Ponyville. The universes did merge."

In shock Ivy realized what that meant.

Her home must have returned from the dark realm when the spell took hold. Mingled & merged with the three other universes, it returned but changed.

"I have to see it for myself," Ivy said talking really to no one in particular.

The aqua mare joined the Bushwoolie to stand at the edge of the cliff.

"Blue Bud, I see it. I see it!" She shouted before jumping for joy then bending down to Blue Bud to nozzle his face in a kiss.

Blue Bud could not help but be over taken by her feelings of happiness for discovering her home had returned.

Although as her watched her prance around in the tall grasses of the hill's cliff. The feelings that were more meaningful to him returned. He still wondered if every thing was as it should be.

While the different versions of Spike conversed with each other. Now self assured between all of them the spell had really worked. Blue Bud continued looking off to the forests and fields the filled the spaces between the towns he saw.

Scanning the countryside he now could make out his home.

The palace, the castle stood reaching above tall treetops.

It looked now more regal than it ever had in the past. This fact puzzled him since so far as he had observed, while the world he had known had definitely changed, it had not altered the appearances of what he already knew.

Squinting his eyes, he tried to get a better look at his home.

It was growing, slowly becoming bigger, and forming towers, crenellations 'n battlements.

"Ivy, I think something when wrong with the spell. My home it's changing!" Blue Bud stated to Ivy, who stopped her happy totting around to listen to him.

"Changing?!" Ivy shouted, not wanting to believe some thing had gone wrong with the spell and quickly joined Blue Bud in looking down to the palace, from the cliff they were standing on.

"I see it too," stated the version of Spike that had belonged to what was once universe one, as he joined them in watching the strange sight.

"We'd better see what's going on." Stated the version of Spike that once belonged to the third universe.

Without words needing to be said, Ivy bent down to let Blue Bud on to her back for riding.

She wanted to gallop to the site of the palace but got forced to slow her pace for the sake of the three dragons who could not keep up with her.

The slow pace while Ivy and Blue Bud both saw it as a inconvenience, both knew it actually served some good.

Both knew from the hilltop where the palace was by just looking below to it which in truth looked like it was miles away.

Miles away into a forest mixed with elements that made it's paths confusing. The group walked taking in foreign views of places once known to them. It was not until dusk that they found their way to the palace.

The drawbridge was open and the moat below it was alive with the Sea-Ponies in joy, when the group approached.

Breaking up the merry mer-ponies from a song, Ivy asked them if they knew why the castle was growing new formations.

One of the Sea-Ponies who had helped break Ivy's fall from the window shill, answered happily. "Princess Ruby is back and the cat-woman is welcoming her!"

"Katrina is making the palace bigger?" Ivy stated in question even though she had just learned this for a fact.

The cat-woman, Ivy remembered wasn't a welcome guest by any means in the palace. Why she was expanding the place as a welcoming back gift. Ivy could only guess had to do with showing will good to those the cat-woman was trying to redeem hers self in the eyes of those she had forced her self on.

"Princess Ruby is back!" Blue Bud shouted in joy. Which he then continued with shouting, "She's back! she's back! she's back! My Princess Ruby is back!"

With these exclamations out of his system now, Blue Bud leapt from Ivy's back, and ran into the castle to search for his once missing friend.

The End.


End file.
